


Sky blue

by baeconandeggs, highqualityidiot



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Action, Dystopia, M/M, Minor Character Death, Romance, Science Fiction, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-20 14:11:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18994213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baeconandeggs/pseuds/baeconandeggs, https://archiveofourown.org/users/highqualityidiot/pseuds/highqualityidiot
Summary: The Earth is ruined, dark and polluted. Chanyeol wants to see the blue sky again. Baekhyun wants to find someone he lost long ago.





	Sky blue

**Author's Note:**

> **Prompt:** BAE587  
>  **Disclaimer: baeconandeggs/the mods is/are not the author/s of this story. Authors will be credited and tagged after reveals.** The celebrities' names/images are merely borrowed and do not represent who the celebrities are in real life. No offense is intended towards them, their families or friends. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this fictional work. No copyright infringement is intended.  
>   
> 
> **Author's Note:** Writing this fic was /a lot/. I almost gave up halfway but now I’m glad I didn’t.
> 
>  
> 
> The fic is heavily based on this old Korean animation movie called Sky Blue/Wonderful days, which I liked a lot when I was younger and wanted to recreate the world with these two in it. I hope you like it, whether you’ve seen the movie before or not.
> 
>  
> 
> And lastly, thanks again for the amazing mods for this fest!

_b_

 

It was raining. The drops drummed against the bike’s windscreen and roof, the view passing by was blurry, the wet road shone in the headlights. Everything was grey, dark and empty. The thick clouds in the sky hung low. 

The rain. How long had it been raining? For years, decades. Maybe even a century. No one who lived right then really remembered. They said that once, billions of people lived on Earth. That the weather was different and the nature healthier. Then, the temperatures rose and great cities fell under natural disasters, migration and unrests. After that came this awful, toxic rain. 

The ancestors saw the great catastrophe coming and they built a new kind of city, which would be able to survive in the poisonous environment. The City became a refuge, a small haven in a destroyed world. 

But not everyone could fit in. A flood of survivors came, begging to be let in to the City. But the ancestors turned them away, left them in the surrounding wastelands to die. The ones who survived became workers for the city, mining the carbonite fields to feed the City’s power source. The city was dependent on the workers, and the workers of the city. Both parties won. Kind of. 

 

The bare and rocky wastelands spread out wide, as far as eye could see. It was a contaminated zone outside the City’s borders. Nothing grew there, nothing survived, except for a few clusters of people, who had made homes in old, crumbling down buildings or rusty empty tankers that still lay in the middle of the dead, plain grounds. 

A lonely bike rode through the helpless region, along the only road that led towards the City. The night was slowly falling and the rain continued. 

“Officer 408, report in. What’s your position?” Mechanic voice echoed inside the bike.

“Officer 408 reporting. Returning from patrol, 10 minutes from the City.”

Blue, artificial glow broke through the darkness and the curtain of rain ahead. The City rose behind the rocky mountains, like a shining blue gem among the grey emptiness. Last spot of life in the dark. Last shelter, haven, refuge. 

A prison.

 

Sent 17.9. 23:06  
_It feels like it’s been raining forever. It’s gotten even worse lately. Everything feels so dull and meaningless lately. I’ve been remembering the sky you showed me that one time. Hard to believe it’s still out there somewhere. Like you.  
I miss the old days._

 

\--

 

The wastelands around the City weren’t completely empty. The carbonite fields as well as the generators and power stations were situated nearby. It was like a small city of its own, a city of plants, pipes and mining towers. City of smoke and toxins. And all around scuttled the workers like ants, keeping the plants and generators going, providing the City and its inhabitants the power and energy they needed. The work was hard and dangerous and fatal accidents happened almost daily.

Baekhyun disliked the field supervision the most. He disliked being out there among the workers, the poor souls who had no choice but to work their asses off in the harsh and dangerous conditions. Their eyes always so full of spite and anger when they looked at Baekhyun or anyone who was from the City. He disliked it but he didn’t blame them. 

Baekhyun took an elevator up to the observation deck and approached the senior officer Commander Choi, who was standing by the rail, overlooking towards the generators. There had just been an accident in one of the generators, an explosion, and Baekhyun saw smoke rising on one side and workers who were trying to flee from the scene. 

“Sir,” Baekhyun saluted. “I received a complaint saying that you overlook the workers’ safety in the field.” How fitting, he thought, given the smoking generator in the background.

“What?” grunted Commander. He was old, rat-faced man. Proud, strict and cruel. Baekhyun also disliked him. 

“Who says that? I have to worry about securing the generators and thus the power distribution.”

“Even while risking the lives of dozens of workers, sir?”

“Even then, yes!” 

They heard another explosion from the generator, followed by faint shouts of orders and cries for help. 

“Damn it,” Commander Choi grunted. “Now we’ll have to shut down the whole thing to prevent further damage.”

Two workers rushed to the deck, bowing hastily to Commander and Baekhyun. They looked distressed and panicked. One of them stepped forward.

“Sir, my men are down there, please help them.”

“That’s too late now, shut down the thing right away and close all the exits,” Commander ordered. 

“What? My men are still inside–”

“You heard me, I want the generator down. Now.”

The worker stood up a bit straighter, chin up in pride and foolish bravery. “No way, sir. Over my dead body.”

“Well, that can be arranged,” Commander Choi snapped. He turned to Baekhyun. “Officer, shoot him.”

Baekhyun couldn’t believe his ears. He glanced at the Commander briefly but did nothing. “That’s not my job, sir.”

He could feel the poisonous look the Commander gave him but then the older man quickly whipped out his own gun and shot the opposing worker square in the chest. The man grunted and collapsed on floor, blood quickly pooling under him. The other worker gasped, backing up a couple of steps while the Commander pointed his gun at him.

“You, do as I said if you don’t want to end up like him.”

The worker bowed quickly and scrambled away to fulfill the order.

Baekhyun clenched his teeth, looking anywhere but the worker lying on the deck in their feet. Commander Choi put his gun away and turned back to observe the situation at the generators. The general alarm blared, mixing with the cries for help.

“You may return to the City, I’ll clean up this mess,” Commander told Baekhyun. “And when filling your daily report, mention that he pulled a knife on us.”

Baekhyun bowed curtly and left.

\--

“How is that scumback still a damn Commander?” Baekhyun huffed lowly, still thoroughly irritated. “He enjoys killing the workers, that’s just not right in any way. No wonder they hate us when our officers treat them like shit.”

Baekhyun glanced at Jongwoon, his senior officer with whom he was just returning from the City’s security unit. Jongwoon sighed.

“I know that. But he’s a high-up in the City Council as well, so getting rid of him is basically impossible.”

He placed a supporting hand on Baekhyun’s shoulder, squeezing it lightly. “I know you’re frustrated with him – I am too –, but just try to do your job and keep out of his way as much as possible. That’s the only way to prevent troubles.”

“Yeah,” Baekhyun muttered. “I will.”

Jongwoon was his hyung and oldest sort-of friend he had left in the City. He appreciated Jongwoon’s opinions and support.

“But now,” Jongwoon said, “since you’re off, why don’t we head to the City’s Centennial party? I heard it’s basically a big masquerade with lots of food and performances. I need to patrol around there anyway.”

“Thanks, but I think I’ll head home,” Baekhyun said. “I’m feeling kind of tired.”

“Okay, as you wish,” Jongwoon smiled. “See you later, then.”

 

Sent 22.9. 17:51  
_I wonder if you remember the Commander of the City’s security troops. He’s still here terrorizing everything and everyone. At times I wonder what’s good in being an officer under a superior like him. It feels useless.  
In fact, everything feels useless lately._

 

_?_

 

The Centennial was the biggest party organized in the City to date. The central square and the three main halls surrounding it were full of the party folk; citizens dressed up and all wearing beautiful and flashy masks, like during those mysterious and fancy masquerades in the old world centuries ago. There was music, performances, singing and laughter. The crowds were big and bustling, so no one spared once glance to a lonely figure in dark robes and white mask, making his way through the central square and towards the corridors that lead deeper into the City.

The security had been doubled during the party, but only around the main halls, so the way further was quiet and empty. Everywhere was deserted. It was almost too easy to slip into the monitoring room and handle the only poor worker who sat in front of all the monitors. After that, proceeding towards the control center was easy. 

The space was huge. So high one could barely make out the ceiling, full of that artificial blue glow the whole City had. There were hundreds of computers and system units stored one the other, floating in the air, making up the servers that kept the City alive and functioning. Fool proof system, unbreakable, they said.

The masked figure took a floating platform to level 25 and approached the main server, the heart of the City’s system. An augmented screen and keyboard appeared in front of him, and he input the password that had been told to him. While he was typing, one of the computers on the right started flashing red and a second later alarms blared all around him. He quickly input rest of the password and after a short loading screen, the computer welcomed him and opened the files in front of him. He swiftly inserted a memory chip into the computer, clicked a couple of times and multiple download bars appeared on the screen. 

It took two long minutes to copy all the files, and by the time he was done and grabbing the chip with him, he heard shouts and two gunshots from the lower levels where he’d come from. As expected, the security troops hadn’t wasted any time. That route now blocked, the only way left was up, so he rose a couple of dozen levels and exited into a dim corridor. By then, the general alarm was blaring throughout the City.

 

_b_

 

After parting with Jongwoon, Baekhyun returned to his apartment. It felt almost unnaturally quiet after all the hustle and bustle around the City. He took off his uniform, throwing it on his bed and headed straight to shower. He stayed there longer than usual, just standing under the hot running water, trying to relax and clear his mind. He was feeling weirdly restless for some reason. 

After finally getting out, Baekhyun sat on his bed for the longest time, staring out of the large windows, to the vista of endless skyscrapers. He glanced towards his nightstand and a piece of an old, ancient mobile cellphone that lay there. He was about to grab it when the radio receiver in his uniform beeped and he heard Jongwoon’s voice.

“Urgent mission. Patrols A and B to the main control center. We have a security breach and an intruder on the loose.”

Baekhyun raised his brows. Someone was crazy enough to try to hack into the City’s system? That was a first.

He swiftly got up and proceeded to pull his uniform back on. 

\--

“–we chased the intruder through the drains and lower levels but lost him after that. We think he’s heading down and east, towards the closest exits. Teams A and C, move closer and report back to Vice Commander Kim as soon as possible.”

Baekhyun listened to the quick run-down through his in-ear while hurrying to the spot with his team. They were on their hover bikes since that was the fastest way to move within the City. 

Baekhyun was a bit wary about the given instructions. Would the intruder really aim for the closest exits, knowing that they would quickly guard and block them? Wouldn’t it be a safer bet trying to get out some less obvious way? He also thought it was totally weird and crazy for one single person to break in to the City and its system. And they’d been very lucky to choose a day when most of the City was empty due to the celebration or… Or they’d known about it.

Baekhyun noticed an incoming non-urgent alert blinking in his bike screen that most of his team seemed to ignore since following the order regarding the intruder was more important. Baekhyun clicked on it anyway. He had this weird hunch.

“There’s an alert in the Time Capsule room,” he said into the radio. “I’ll check that out quickly and join you guys after that.”

He left the team, turning right in the next crossroad and hurrying towards the higher levels.

 

Couple of levels up, the vast art halls of the Time Capsule room were dim, quiet and empty. Baekhyun proceeded silently through the rooms exhibiting different famous art pieces of the old world; sculptures, paintings, ceramics. He moved silently between shadows and the little light that filtered through the big stained glass windows, his gun ready and senses sharpened. Judging by the report in his in-ear, the other teams were still searching through the lower levels and close to the exits – in vain. Baekhyun still felt like the intruder – if still in the City somewhere – would be aiming up rather than down. He had already come through the main halls and corridors, each one as deserted as the next but what had made him continue had been an open vent in the first hall, big enough for a man to crawl through.

 

Baekhyun continued further, slowly and silently, and his heart jumped when suddenly there was Jongwoon’s voice in his ear.

“Baekhyun, report your position.”

“I’m in the Time Capsule,” Baekhyun whispered, pressing closer to a nearby wall and glancing frantically around himself. “I think he’s somewhere here. Send backup.”

Baekhyun spun around another corner, his gun raised and scanning the empty space around him. His own heartbeat was like drums in his ears, and yet he thought he kept hearing silent steps or seeing a shadow move at the edge of his vision but when he turned towards it, there was nothing. 

Little by little, Baekhyun moved through the white halls to the farthest end of them, the French art section, chasing after an invisible enemy, or someone who maybe wasn’t even there anymore. When tiptoeing past the stiff copies of Rousseau, Delacroix and Monet, his grip of the gun tightened and he prepared to round another corner–

And then there was a cold barrel against his temple. 

Baekhyun froze but couldn’t help moving his head ever so slightly to see better to his right; the barrel pressed against his skin a bit more.

“Don’t move. Drop the gun.”

Baekhyun proceeded to obey. He raised both of his hands and slowly put down his pistol – and dashed forward, trying to snatch the gun from the intruder but the other was ready and easily dodged his attack. Baekhyun spun around, now face to face with the stranger, the gun pointing at his chest. 

They were in front of a big stained-glass window depicting the apostles and angels, and with the light filtering through the colorful glass, Baekhyun finally saw the intruder properly and felt a squeeze in his stomach. A hood shadowed the face partly but he could still see the dark eyes from under it, along with the familiar features he hadn’t seen in over ten years…

He more sensed than saw the hesitation in the other’s being; the gun pointing at his chest lowered a bit but the face under the hood remained expressionless. For a moment, they just stood there staring at each other, seconds stretching to feel like hours. 

“Baekhyun, it’s Jongwoon. Are you alright? Acknowledge.” Baekhyun had no time to answer or react before the other raised his gun and many shots split the air. 

Baekhyun stood there, frozen, watching the stained glass window shatter into millions of shards. The alarms blared and there was Jongwoon’s voice calling him in his ear, but Baekhyun heard none of it. 

The hooded man, standing by the now open window, turned to look at him. His hood had fallen down and he was looking at Baekhyun with an unreadable expression. His face looked different but oh, so familiar at the same time.

Baekhyun opened his mouth to say something, anything – but all the words died on his lips, and with one swing of his rope the man stepped on the edge of the window and leaped down.

Only seconds after, the backup troops dashed in with Jongwoon’s lead, rushing to the edge and firing countless shots after the hooded man until Jongwoon ordered them not to waste ammo.

“The rat’s got a parachute, he’s gone for now,” Jongwoon said, clearly disappointed and frustrated. He turned towards Baekhyun who was still standing on the same spot, looking out of the shattered window, not really caring about the fuss going on around him.

“Baekhyun, are you okay?” A supporting yet heavy hand on his shoulder. Baekhyun forced himself to snap out of it.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Did you get a good look at the intruder by any chance?”

“I didn’t, I’m sorry. It all happened so fast.”

He saw the disappointment in Jongwoon’s face but the other quickly hid it behind a smile.

“It’s okay. I’m glad you didn’t get hurt. We’ll try to trace the rat down and catch him.”

Baekhyun forced a small smile on his face. “Yeah, great.”

 

\--

 

Sent 23.9. 06:19  
_Did that really happen? Did I imagine it all? The more hours pass the more I’m doubting myself. Was it really you? Are you still out there somewhere? Or am I going crazy_

 

That evening, Baekhyun was sitting by the windows in his living room, looking out without really seeing anything. His mind had been racing all the day since the chase. 

A knock on the door snapped him out of his thoughts, and he found frustrated looking Jongwoon behind the door. The other was returning from the City Council’s meeting where he was always required to join as a commanding officer of the security troops. Baekhyun knew Jongwoon didn’t really enjoy the meetings. “I’m just sitting there listening to the old fools and their bad ideas,” he always complained. He often came to Baekhyun to vent afterwards.

“How was it this time?” Baekhyun asked as he let Jongwoon in. They sat in the living room and the other let out a deep sigh.

“The Council is a mess right now,” Jongwoon said. “I can’t of course tell everything that was said but… They’re quite sure the one behind this sudden attack to the City is Dr. Yoo. You remember him, right?”

“I do,” Baekhyun nodded. The old scientist who used to live in the City and who then disappeared. “So he’s alive?”

“Apparently. Back then he wanted to shut down the City’s system because according to him, it was too burdening, polluting the air and the water, causing diseases in the workers… Frankly, he wasn’t wrong but what choice do we have if we want to keep living like this? Anyway, the Council back then banished him and tried to get rid of him but looks like he’s still out there wanting to carry out his mission.”

Baekhyun looked at Jongwoon, his mind racing again. What did it all mean?

“So… now what?” he asked.

“They want to find him and catch him, as soon as possible. Him, and the rebel army that they think he has. I mean, he had this one rat come here and steal all the data for him…”

Jongwoon huffed, still looking irritated. 

“We’ll be collecting more troops for all this,” he then said, looking at Baekhyun. “Me and Commander Choi, unfortunately. He’s been acting weird lately, I don’t like that. He was also ready to blow up half of the worker’s town to find Dr. Yoo and those rebels, that idiot. But we do need to find them. The sooner the better. Ready to hunt some rats with me?”

Usually, Baekhyun would offer supporting words for Jongwoon, hope for his success and always follow him. This time though, he couldn’t do that.

“Of course,” he forced himself to say.

 

_c_

 

If one travelled far enough from the City, through the empty wastelands, eventually one would find the end to the seemingly endless dead wilderness – the sea. It was still there even though most people in the City had long forgotten its existence. It was vast, surprisingly calm and as steel grey as the rainy sky. As contaminated as were the air and the ground. 

The sea level had risen and fallen over the centuries, leaving many rusty skeletons of ancient vessels lying around by the coast. One of them was an old, deserted submarine that rested on the shoal. Despite its age, it still had most of its windows intact and was thus waterproof against the rain and the sea, making it a decent place to live in. That was where Dr. Yoo had set up his fort. And that was where Chanyeol delivered the data he’d managed to steal from the City’s system. He was rather pleased with himself regarding the mission but for some reason, Dr. Yoo didn’t seem to agree with him.

“You really can’t follow even the simplest instructions, huh?” The older man sighed when Chanyeol handed him the memory chip. “This all would’ve been a lot easier if you hadn’t triggered the alarm.”

“Easier maybe but definitely not as much fun,” Chanyeol grinned, not caring about the eye roll the old man gave him.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Commander Choi already has his troops snooping around in the wastelands, looking for you.”

“Oh, let him come,” Chanyeol said lightly. “And don’t stress too much, ahjeossi, I got you the data safely after all?”

“That you did indeed,” Dr. Yoo admitted. He input the chip into his computer and after a couple security bypasses, he opened a window with all the files Chanyeol had copied. “Now let’s see what that excuse of a city has been up to…”

Chanyeol watched as Dr. Yoo clicked open different files and checked many incomprehensible looking stats and charts. 

“Well, what is this?” The old man muttered to himself while going through the files. “The system looks like it’s dying. It only has around tenth of its capacity left. Hmm, would that be enough for an energy release, I wonder…?”

“If you manage to release all that power like you’ve planned, what’s going to happen?” Chanyeol asked. He’d heard Dr. Yoo talk about his goal many times over the years but he still didn’t quite understand it all completely.

“We will blast open the sky,” the old man said. “Get rid of this rain once and for all.”

“What about the City? What will happen to all those people?”

“Most will survive but they’ll have to change their ways of living and work together with the rest of us if they intend to survive in this world. They’ll have to start using renewable energy instead of that toxic and polluting system.”

Chanyeol snorted. “I think they’d rather kill us than do that.”

He walked to the big windows of the cockpit, looking out to the endless, colorless sea.

“Why do you care what happens to those people?” Dr. Yoo then asked and Chanyeol heaved a sigh.

“When I – when I broke into the City I happened to see someone I used to know… before…”

“Oh?”

“He was all grown up but still looked like the way I remember him.” Chanyeol looked at the waves but could only see Baekhyun’s face, his surprised and shocked expression when he had clearly recognized Chanyeol as well. He had ended up becoming an officer after all…

“Whoever that is,” Dr. Yoo’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, “you better forget about him. You’re dead to the people of the City, don't forget that. Now go and get that kid of yours back, he hangs out with those city bums way too often.”

 

\--

 

Right outside the City’s borders lived the descendants of those who had been turned away from the last refuge decades ago. Over the years, the living quarters of the workers and their families had formed a small city of its own. It was cramped, labyrinthine and chaotic, and Chanyeol tried to avoid it as much as possible unless he was in a dire need of equipment or assistance or – like now – he had to fetch the brat Jongin home when he was gone for too long, spending time with that good-for-nothing gang. There were quite a bunch of orphans in the city and somehow Chanyeol had ended up taking one of them under his wing. He wasn’t the most ideal type for a father or big brother figure but being with Jongin made him try his best at least. Even though it often meant exactly this: fetching the kid from somewhere and making sure he didn’t get into trouble.

Chanyeol drove through the city’s gates and straight to a certain old warehouse in the shadier part of the town. He knocked on the heavy metal door and the small view hole clanked open, revealing a pair of suspicious eyes, which soon widened in delight upon recognizing Chanyeol.

“Park Chanyeol! Long time no see!”

The lock clicked and the door opened to fully reveal a shorter guy with a headband, curly hair and big grin.

“Come here, pal!” he stepped to Chanyeol and gave him a bone-crushing hug.

“Nice to see you, too, Jongdae,” Chanyeol muttered and wiggled himself out of the embrace. “I come to pick up Jongin. He’s here again, right?”

“Oh yeah, at the garage with the guys,” Jongdae said, pointing a thumb behind his back and ushering Chanyeol to follow him. 

“Kid wanted to help Minseok fix his bike. He was also very keen on tasting a cigarette while I was smoking–“

“He WHAT?”

“– _but_ I told him off! Geez, calm down, is that how much you trust me? I know how to handle kids! I’d be a good guardian!”

Chanyeol snorted. “With your line of work and this glory hole as your home? I don’t think so.”

The Kim brothers were known to do all kinds of odd jobs with varying levels of danger and (il)legality. Thus they had very colorful reputation around the town and the wastelands and none of them seemed to care enough to change that. Helped with lots of their “businesses” as Jongdae said. Chanyeol knew deep down that despite their line of work they were good people but he still couldn’t help worrying about Jongin every time the kid chose to spend time with them. Somehow, Jongin really liked all of them. 

Chanyeol really found the kid at the garage, sitting on an old car tire, laughing at something Kim Minseok, the oldest of the brothers, had just said. Kim Junmyeon was working on something by the table on the other side of the room.

“Jongin!” Chanyeol called as soon as he was close enough. “Kid, time to go back.”

“Ah, Chanyeol hyung!” Jongin waved happily at him. “Can’t I stay a bit longer? It’s not that late yet…”

“You’ve been here all day already, I’m sure. Dr. Yoo wants you back.”

“We can continue with the bike some other day,” Minseok grinned, ruffling Jongin’s hair.

“Okay…” Jongin pouted.

“Hey, by the way,” Jongdae nudged Chanyeol while Minseok said goodbye to Jongin. “You went to the City today, right? How was it? Got back in one piece at least.”

“I got the things I needed to,” Chanyeol said curtly. 

“And?” Jongdae pressed. “What now? What about the plan?”

“It’s still too early to say.”

“Well, I want you to know that we’re ready whenever you are,” Jongdae said, giving Chanyeol a manly slap on the back.

“I’ll remember,” Chanyeol nodded. “Okay, come on, Jongin! We’re leaving.”

“Bye Minseok hyung, bye Junmyeon hyung, bye Jongdae hyung,” Jongin waved at them and then took Chanyeol’s hand, nicely following him out of the warehouse. 

Outside, Chanyeol gave him a helmet and lifted him on the back of his bike.

“You went inside the City today, Chanyeol hyung?” Jongin asked, peering at him curiously through the visor. Damn Jongdae and his big mouth and loud voice.

“I did, yes.”

“How was it? Is it true that everything glows blue and everyone rides on those flying bikes there?”

Chanyeol hopped on and put on his own helmet. Baekhyun’s face flowed in his mind again. His expression, his eyes… Chanyeol squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the images to disappear.

“Don’t listen to every story the Kim brothers tell you,” he eventually answered, kick started the engine and drove into the darkening night. 

 

\--

 

“You know what? Dr. Yoo said that the sky used to be blue. Deep blue. Sky blue was how they called the color, he said.” Chanyeol turned, grinning at Baekhyun who was sitting beside him. 

“And,” Chanyeol continued emphatically, having a great urge to impress, “my mom said there’s a place where the sky is _always_ blue. It’s called Mediterranean Sea and she said there are lots of beautiful islands over there…”

“I can’t imagine a place like that,” Baekhyun said.

“I’m gonna go there one day!”

“Really?”

“Uh-huh,” Chanyeol nodded. “If you want, I’ll take you with me.”

Baekhyun just smiled silently. Chanyeol returned the smile, pleased with himself. He liked when he made the other smile. He lightly nudged Baekhyun’s side.

“You wanna see something?”

“What?”

“Follow me.”

 

Chanyeol took him through a very secret route, along one of the huge vents that had loose gratings on both ends and that lead outside on the roof (he may or may not have gotten a tip from Dr. Yoo). Chanyeol moved the grating aside so they were able to slip past it into the chilly morning air. Baekhyun followed him looking a bit hesitant.

“This place is off limits, we shouldn’t be here.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll go back soon enough,” Chanyeol assured and ushered the other to follow him. “We need to be here so I can show you. Come!”

He pulled Baekhyun with him to the edge of the roof and sat them down. They were so high they should’ve been able to see far but all there was to see was the rocky emptiness of the wastelands and the thick grey clouds. They seemed to blend together in the horizon. Chanyeol counted the seconds in his mind and waited.

Eventually, he felt the wind picking up and saw the clouds moving faster across the sky. He noticed them getting thinner in the horizon and nudged Baekhyun, pointing excitedly.

“There, look.”

“Whoa!”

The vista that slowly opened up before them was breathtaking. The clouds broke apart, and for a moment, they had to cover their eyes against the rays of the rising sun. It painted everything golden, made everything glow, it was so bright Chanyeol’s eyes watered. He heard Baekhyun gasping and laughing beside him, and looked up at the bright blue peeking between the tattered clouds. The sun painted the clouds in hues of purple, pink and orange, and the horizon was gleaming in the golden sunlight.

“It’s incredible, Chanyeol!” Baekhyun said. “How did you know about this?”

“Dr. Yoo said it would happen today,” Chanyeol told him. He was beyond happy that he was able to see it all with Baekhyun.

“And think about it, the Mediterranean people get to see this every day! I’m really going there. You want to come, too?”

“For a view like this, yes!” Baekhyun grinned, looking once again at the sunrise.

“Only for the view?” Chanyeol asked, pouting, feigning offence.

Baekhyun snorted and shoved Chanyeol, and he let himself fall on his back, snickering and extremely pleased. He thought he’d seen Baekhyun’s ears get red.

Baekhyun lay down beside him, smiling quickly at Chanyeol before looking up at the sky again. It was so blue, so deep. So beautiful.

“Thank you for showing me this.”

“Of course.”

 

Too soon the thick clouds floated back, slowly covering up the sky and the sun again. That was the last time Chanyeol saw the blue sky. That was the last time he saw Baekhyun.

 

\--

 

Lately what kept the City’s security units busy and the people living in the surrounding town alert were the almost weekly riots organized by the radical part of workers who were angry and frustrated with the City and its people. Strikes. Rallies. Explosions. Vandalism. General chaos. That’s what Chanyeol faced one day when he was back in town again, this time looking for parts for a glider he was building. He’d been searching through a couple of general stores when he heard the first explosions some blocks away. Seemed like the rioters were blowing things up again.

Chanyeol swiftly exited the store and saw the crowd on the streets moving faster than before. People were hurrying to the opposite direction from the riot and explosions. Most of the folk were so used to the protestors and riots that it didn’t cause any bigger panic anymore but majority of the people still chose to stay away from the fights and troubles. Chanyeol was frantically glancing around, trying to find Jongin who he knew was somewhere nearby with Kim Minseok. He wanted the kid out of the town.

“Jongin-ah!”

“Chanyeol hyung, I’m here!” Jongin appeared from around the corner, bouncing excitedly. Kim Minseok walked in his tow.

“Hyung, look what Minseok hyung found for me! Glider glasses!” Jongin ran to Chanyeol and raised a pair of old goggles the pilots used above their helmets.

“They’re great,” Chanyeol smiled and then looked at Minseok. “Can you take Jongin back to Dr. Yoo’s place? I don’t want him here with the riot and grenades flying around.”

“Sure, of course,” Minseok agreed. “Come, Jongin, let’s go with my bike.”

“See you later, hyung!”

Chanyeol watched them disappear into the receding crowd and then hurried to fetch his own bike parked around the corner. Before he got there, he saw the crowd part suddenly when a pair of bikes drove past slowly. The white bikes of the City’s security unit. Chanyeol stepped to the shadow of the building and watched the bikes drive by. He saw Baekhyun in the second one. The other was looking around, eyeing the crowd on the street, and for a split second it felt like he was looking straight at Chanyeol. Chanyeol felt a jump in his gut and rapid beating of his heart, but then the moment was over, Baekhyun looked away and the bike passed him. 

Chanyeol followed the bike with his eyes for a moment and made a quick decision on the spot.

 

_b_

 

Baekhyun was on the street patrol duty with Seulgi that day, driving around in his bike. They were aware of the riots and tried to stay away from the most heated areas since the presence of the City’s officers often riled up the rioters and things could get ugly and dangerous very fast. 

Baekhyun was in the southern part of the town where everything looked more or less calm, though he could still hear the occasional explosions. He saw some groups of people hurry in the opposite direction. 

“Baekhyun, where are you now?” Seulgi’s voice cracked through the radio. 

“I’m in the Southern district near the main road.”

“You should turn around, the rioters are heading that way.”

Right as she said that, Baekhyun heard something bump against the bike’s side and he hit brakes immediately. He saw and felt the small explosion outside and thanked whatever gods for the sturdiness of the City’s bikes. He was now sideways in the middle of the road and he noticed a small group appearing from around the corner ahead of him. One of them threw another petrol bomb but it luckily flew past. Too bad petrol bombs didn’t seem to be their only weapons: Baekhyun saw a bazooka that was aimed at him and he was quite sure the bike wouldn’t be sturdy enough for _that_. He tried to turn the bike around but he was too close to them, too good of a target…

He was just about to call for backup from Seulgi when suddenly a motorbike appeared from his left side; it drove right at the riot group, scattering it up and messing the bazooka guy’s aim – he launched the rocket at the nearby building. Baekhyun watched how the motorbike driver did a u-turn and drove to him again; he now noticed a long black jacket and what he thought was a familiar face. The motorbike flashed past him.

“Baekhyun? Where are you? Is everything ok?” Seulgi was calling him.

“I’m fine. Over.”

He watched how the bike veered out of his sight. He hesitated only a second before speeding up after it. 

 

The empty lonely road followed the hill side, leading past the forest of old wind turbines, long forgotten and rusty, sad memories of the times when people were trying to save the planet. The region was grey and weirdly foggy, visibility being very shitty. Baekhyun could only see the motorbike ahead of him occasionally before it disappeared into the fog again but its course seemed quite clear, this being the only road around. Baekhyun was still keeping a reasonable distance. He wasn’t sure if the driver knew he was following him or not but at least the motorbike didn’t try to hide or lose him once. After about an hour of driving, Baekhyun could see a huge shadow of an old tanker break through the fog – they were close to the coast area. 

He followed the road to the tanker, slowly, hesitating. Now was the last chance to turn back. Or call for backup, to inform Jongwoon that he had located the intruder they were so desperately searching for. 

He did neither. 

He saw the motorbike parked by the prow, near a narrow metal staircase leading up. Baekhyun parked his bike a bit farther, pulled out his gun and climbed up. He slipped in through a huge hole in the hull; the whole ship was eaten by time and rust but was still strong enough to be standing, intact enough to be lived in. Once in he climbed more stairs, all the time waiting for someone to jump out behind some corner. But it was all deserted, all empty. Just shadows and the smell of rust.

Up on the next deck, he found some kind of makeshift workshop with what looked like a self-built glider. Baekhyun went around it, looking around, his gun still ready. He saw sketches and drawn plans on the wall behind the glider. An old, illustrated map next to them. Baekhyun walked closer. Mediterranean sea. There was also an old record player. Looked like he had found the living quarters. 

There was movement in front of him and he swiftly pointed his gun towards it. A tall man stepped forward, unarmed, looking evenly at him. Baekhyun slowly lowered the gun. Swallowed. He knew what he’d expected coming there but he could still hardly believe it.

“It really was you,” he said, softly. Quietly. 

Chanyeol’s hair was longer, his face the same as Baekhyun remembered but shaped sharper by the passed years. He was even more handsome than before. And had the same unreadable expression on his face as back in the City. 

“You shouldn’t have come,” Chanyeol said eventually, turning away, towards the record player. His voice was deep, hoarse, a bit raspy. He looked so rejecting that part of Baekhyun wanted to run away instantly. The other part wanted to walk closer, to try and reach over across the years apart–

“I–I sometimes thought you were dead,” Baekhyun said weakly. All the confusion, all the doubting and worrying. All those messages sent to nowhere. “How–?”

“The Chanyeol you once knew is dead. We’re on different sides now, enemies.”

“We don’t have to be…”

Chanyeol glanced at him, a weird piercing look, before he looked away again. “Go back to the City, Baekhyun. That’s where you belong.”

 _No_ , was the initial reaction in Baekhyun’s mind. He didn’t want to, he didn’t belong there. Maybe he never had. At least he didn’t want to leave Chanyeol before they’d talk, before he could hear all of what had happened to the other, what was he up to now, fighting against the City…. What kind of person had he become?

Baekhyun was about to step closer, to say something–

“Park Chanyeol, are you here?” A loud voice hollering from the lower deck, steps against the metal stairs. Someone was coming up.

Chanyeol sighed. “Those idiots.”

He stepped past Baekhyun, to go to whoever it was that was coming. “I’ll take those guys out on the deck. Once the way is clear, go. It’s not good for you to be here.”

And with that, he walked away. Baekhyun stepped by a window and looked how Chanyeol walked to the three people waiting for him. All were dressed in riding gear, all shorter than him. 

Who are you, Chanyeol? I wish to know again.

_We’re enemies now. Go back to where you belong._

Baekhyun stood there quietly, waiting for the way to be clear. When he eventually returned to his bike, he was biting back tears. 

 

Baekhyun was already thinking that he’d managed to sneak back to the City without too much attention; he had returned the bike just fine and was just hurrying out of the security unit when someone called him. Baekhyun winched quickly to himself before turning around.

“Sir.”

“Why are you back so late?” Jongwoon asked, walking up to him. “Seulgi said you disappeared during the patrol. We thought something had happened.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Baekhyun said, his mind working a mile a minute. “Some of the rioters had a bazooka and were shooting at me, and I chased some of them out of the City and then got momentarily lost in the wastelands. I know I failed to report my position and I apologize for that.”

Jongwoon looked at him evenly before giving him a small smile. “It’s fine, most important thing is that you’re back safely. You didn’t manage to catch any of those rioters, then?”

“No, they got away,” Baekhyun said.

“Too bad. Well, you’re dismissed, you must be tired. Go and rest.” Jongwoon patted his shoulder and sent him away with a smile.

Baekhyun was surprised how he felt only a bit bad about lying to Jongwoon. He went to bed with Chanyeol’s face flashing in his mind and his words on repeat in his ears. 

 

Chanyeol. Looking at him, quietly smiling at him. Chanyeol turning away, walking away. Chanyeol sitting beside him on the roof, gazing at the sky. Chanyeol leaping down from the roof, Baekhyun calling after him. Baekhyun trying to reach out to him, take his hand but not managing. He was desperate, frustrated, scared. 

Gunshots. Many of them. Chanyeol falling down, Baekhyun trying to run to him–

Baekhyun flinched awake and rolled over on the bed. His heart was beating like crazy and his mind felt fuzzy. Fuzzy, confused and full of Chanyeol. Baekhyun squeezed his eyes shut, willing the final images of his nightmare go away. 

\--

He was off that day so he spent most of the morning loitering around his apartment, staring out of the window into nothing, welling in the deep turmoil of his thoughts and emotions. He felt at loss. Conflicted. Which was refreshing in a way since for the longest time he had felt almost nothing. And now among all the confusion and uncertainty there was a small flame that burned him. It was ushering him to do something. What specifically, he didn’t know yet but he was more than ready to find out. 

Around noon, there was a knock at the door and in walked stone-faced Jongwoon. He stepped straight to the living room area and to the window. He just stood there, gazing out, saying nothing for the longest time. Baekhyun could feel the angry cold mood from his senior and was fearing the worst–

“You know,” Jongwoon finally said, “last night we raided an old tanker near the costal area with the strike force. We had a reason to believe that Dr. Yoo’s accomplice was hiding in there.”

Baekhyun’s stomach dropped. No.

“Do you happen to know why we had a reason to believe that?” Jongwoon asked matter-of-factly, still looking out of the window. 

Baekhyun felt _sick_. He was so stupid, he’d unknowingly lead Jongwoon and all of the security force to Chanyeol, just like that, just because he’d been reckless and driven by his emotions. He answered nothing, he had no excuses at this point. 

Upon his prolonged silence, Jongwoon finally turned around to face him. More than angry, he looked disappointed. 

“Where… is he now?” Baekhyun dared to ask. He needed to know.

“Why don’t you tell me?” Jongwoon threw back. “We searched through the tanker but it was empty.”

 _Thank god._ “I have no idea where he is.” 

“But you knew enough to follow him there,” Jongwoon said poisonously, then looked like he was trying to recompose himself.

“Just… _why_ didn’t you tell me, Baekhyun?” He asked, sounding tired and almost pleading.

Baekhyun didn’t meet his gaze, neither did he answer. Jongwoon heaved a heavy sigh.

“Have you forgotten how he left? What he did?”

 _No, but I want to hear it all from him_ , Baekhyun thought. His silence stretched and he could feel Jongwoon’s frustration and disappointment grow with every passing second. He could feel this invisible but deep gap forming between them. He was making a choice. 

 

_c_

 

“Thanks for coming all the way here to talk business, pal,” Jongdae chirped when he sat down opposite to Chanyeol on the small table and clinked his beer jar against Chanyeol’s. Junmyeon and Minseok joined them not long after with their drinks. They were in a small run-down bar not far from the Kims’ warehouse. Their haunt, according to Jongdae. Cheap beer, decent food, opportunity to chat and mingle with people. Chanyeol was not really feeling it but he didn’t have a say in it this time. 

“So,” Jongdae said after a couple of sips, “since you brought the glider here, does that mean The Plan is ready to be carried out?”

“Not quite yet,” Chanyeol said. “I still need to make some adjustments to the glider, and I thought it’d be easier to do it here. Also because I’d need some help with that.”

He looked at Minseok, who was nodding. “Just tell me what needs to be done and I’ll do it.”

“Okay, one more thing,” Jongdae put in. “If you’re not in hurry with the plan, we were wondering… if you could help us with something with the glider?”

“Like what?” Chanyeol didn’t like the expectant faces of Jongdae and Junmyeon.

“The City’s planning something big with all those trucks full of weapons in the wasteland lately,” Junmyeon said, lowering his voice a bit. “We were thinking that you could maybe create a distraction with the glider…”

“…and then we steal one truck and sell the weapons in the black market!” Jongdae finished excitedly. “We happen to know that there’s one transport happening tomorrow, and it would be a perfect opportunity to strike. How does that sound?”

“Absolutely not,” Chanyeol deadpanned. 

“Whaat? Why not?”

“I have more important things to do than help your shady businesses. If you want to steal a truck, you have to do it yourself, I don’t want any part in that.”

Jongdae snorted, disappointed. “You’re no fun.”

“I’m no fun because I’m not lousy lowlifes like you. This is exactly why I don’t want Jongin hanging out with you guys too much.”

“Hey, the kid likes us! And we’re treating him just fine.”

“By bringing him to this kind of shithole.”

“He’s having fun, chill.” Jongdae looked over his shoulder to the other end of the bar when Jongin was playing with an ancient looking foosball table with one of the barkeepers. Like usual, Chanyeol couldn’t have kept him out of there even if he would’ve liked.

 

Next day, Chanyeol woke up to a slight headache in the narrow and uncomfortable guest bed at the back of the warehouse. He’d given in to Jongin’s pleas to stay over since it’d already been quite late when they got themselves out of the bar. When he walked around, he noticed he was alone. The Kims were nowhere to be seen, and Jongin was hopefully close by playing with the neighbourhood kids. 

When Chanyeol walked to the makeshift kitchen area at the back, he noticed a piece of paper on the table. A quick note clearly written in hurry: _carrying out the plan we talked about last night. gonna head to the hideout 4 afterwards if ur interested come along. - jd + hyungs_

Chanyeol sighed. Of course they’d try something stupid and dangerous. He wasn’t worried for the trio per se, they always somehow made through everything, but going against the City’s troops in time like this was risky. Which was why he’d rather not interfere himself. He put down the note and was already thinking how he could use this time of peace and quiet to work on the glider.

He used the whole forenoon with working. It was relaxing and he realized he’d made the right choice with bringing the glider over. The Kims had the space and equipment he’d never have, and thanks to Minseok and his obsession with _cleaning_ and _order_ , even the tools were organized by name, function and size so Chanyeol had no trouble finding anything. He was so focused on working he didn’t really register the approaching steps until they were right behind him. Heels against the concrete. He turned.

Baekhyun was standing a couple of meters from him, tight-lipped and hesitating. 

“Thank god, you’re here.”

Chanyeol blinked and almost dropped the adjustable wrench he was holding. His heart pounded in his ears, confusion and doubt settling in his gut again. He remembered how he’d told Baekhyun to go away, how he’d both hoped and feared the other would really listen to him. How it would all be easier if he could just forget about Baekhyun and never see him again. And yet…

“What are you doing here? And how–how did you know where I was?” For a second, Chanyeol imagined City’s security troops with Jongwoon in front breaking into the warehouse and surrounding him, arresting him, dragging him away… But nothing of sort happened.

“I put a tracker in your glider back at the tanker,” Baekhyun admitted quietly. “I’m sorry, but I was wo–, in case I’d need to find you again. And now I did.”

He lowered his eyes, took a deep breath, like gathering courage before continuing. “The security unit raided your tanker last night. Jongwoon found out I had met up with you earlier in secret and… Well, he wasn’t pleased. He wanted to catch you. I just found out about it, and heard they didn’t find you so I checked the tracker… I needed to know where you were… I–I’m sorry.”

Chanyeol felt chills. Normally, he would’ve been at the tanker. With Jongin, even. He thanked whatever higher power that they really happened to be in the town last night. 

“Too bad for Jongwoon, it seems,” Chanyeol said. “You didn’t tell him that he could have a new chance with me now, here?”

Baekhyun looked like Chanyeol had hit him. It reassured him a little. “I would never–! I never told anyone anything about you. And I will not. I know you don’t know me anymore but I’ve changed less than you might think, Park Chanyeol.”

Chanyeol snorted lightly. _Indeed._ The other’s indignation’s was his proof. He believed him.

“I’m sorry,” Chanyeol said. “I take your word. But you can’t be too careful. I’m still talking to the City’s security officer here. And I don’t know what he’s capable of.”

“At ease, mister.” Baekhyun looked at him and for the first time, his eyes were warm and his lips curved up just a little. It was friendly, it was familiar and Chanyeol felt like this invisible wall between them started to dissolve. He smiled back at the other, really smiled, and then turned towards the glider again because it all was kind of overwhelming. 

“You built this all by yourself?” Baekhyun stepped around the glider, admiring it. 

“I did.”

“What for? Flying to the Mediterranean with it?”

Chanyeol looked at the other and the now real smile playing on his lips. “You remember that?”

“Of course. I remember it all.”

Baekhyun’s gaze was weirdly intense and sad, and suddenly Chanyeol’s mind was filled with all the _if_ s and _maybe_ s that he had been actively trying to shut out since the moment he ran into Baekhyun in the City. He couldn’t, he shouldn’t. And yet. 

“I wish you would have never left,” Baekhyun said, so quietly Chanyeol barely heard. “I wish it everyday.”

Baekhyun had rounded the glider and was now standing a few steps away. So close, yet so far. Chanyeol’s whole world was shaking with those quiet words of his. He simultaneously wanted to run away and step closer, reach over. He was able to do neither when Baekhyun’s radiophone suddenly rattled, breaking the moment. 

“Urgent mission, calling out team A. Situation zero at the shipwreck by the northern bay. Gathering by the town gates immediately. Repeat, team A, situation zero–“

“Baekhyun?” A new voice suddenly cut in to the line. Chanyeol recognized it even through the crackle and noise. “I know I dismissed you earlier but I want you on this mission. Come to the gates as soon as possible. Over.”

“Shit,” Baekhyun cursed under his breath. “On my way. Over.”

Baekhyun met his gaze and Chanyeol was suddenly worried because wasn’t the northern bay area exactly where…

“What is it?” he asked, knowing very well Baekhyun wouldn’t be allowed to tell him anything.

Baekhyun answered all the same. “Stolen weapon truck. I suppose they want to follow the rebels and strike their hideout–“

“Oh, god,” Chanyeol sighed. It couldn’t be a coincidence. This time the Kims were about to be screwed for real. “I know those rebels. I gotta go.”

He threw the tools away and hurried to the other room to fetch a bike key. Baekhyun was calling after him.

“Chanyeol! You can’t go like that! Didn’t you hear, the strike team will be there, it’s a suicide going in the middle of that–“

“My friends are there,” Chanyeol said, stepping towards Baekhyun. “I need to go and help them. We two are still on different sides, remember?”

Baekhyun sighed. “Try to stay discreet. Jongwoon will be there and he still wants you more than anything, dead or alive.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Chanyeol said. “If you happen to see me, don’t shoot.”

“Don’t joke about it,” Baekhyun warned. “Just… stay safe.”

\--

Chanyeol drove faster than ever and was sure he’d make it to the hideout before the City’s strike team, but when he arrived, he saw weirdly many vehicles by the wreck. He parked at back and quietly approached the hideout. It used to serve as a bar and restaurant for the rebels a while back. He heard shots and shouting from inside. 

Hoping for the best and fearing the worst, Chanyeol slid inside the wreck, into the kitchen side at the back. He had no weapon on him, so he stayed down behind the tables and counters, trying to get a grasp at the situation. He could hear shooting from the hall behind the kitchen doors. And… something else. Among the noise, there was panting and low grunts. Coming from very close.

Chanyeol crouched and moved to the end of the counter, carefully peeking around it. There lay a man, holding his leg, stream of blood flowing from his thigh. He maybe heard Chanyeol’s movements as he swiftly looked up at him. It was Minseok.

“Chanyeol–,“ Minseok was sweaty and pale, clearly in lot of pain, but as soon he saw Chanyeol, he tried crawling towards him. Chanyeol lifted his hand to make him stop.

“Don’t move, idiot. What happened here?” he hissed.

“I–I think they had a tracker in the truck because they were able to follow us so soon. And… in one of the weapon boxes, there was a bomb which blew up in the hall when we were unloading the charge, thank heavens we realized it fast enough…”

“And the others?” Chanyeol asked.

“They’re trying to get to the truck so we could maybe get out of here in one piece. But Chanyeol, Chanyeol!” Minseok looked suddenly very alarmed. “Jongin is here. He sneaked here with old Lee–“

“ _What?_ ”

“He said he didn’t want to be ‘left behind’… You know how he’s always following us around, there’s no stopping him! Anyway, I told him to go downstairs, hide somewhere in the lower decks that are underground…”

“Okay,” Chanyeol sighed. Now wasn’t the time to throw blames around. “I’ll go find him. You guys get out of here if you just can, go to Dr. Yoo’s place. He’ll patch you up.”

“And you’ll come afterwards with Jongin?”

“Yeah.”

 

Chanyeol left Minseok, wishing from the bottom of his heart that the Kims and their luck would be enough to get them all out of there in one piece. He went down to the lower level, which had served as some kind of storage but now was only dark, damp and deserted. Chanyeol proceeded quietly, trying to look for any movement or noise. The shooting above him eventually stopped and he hoped it was because the rebels had been able to flee, and not because they’d been eliminated or captured. He wondered whether Baekhyun had arrived in the scene already, and if Jongwoon was there or not. 

He searched and searched but couldn’t find Jongin. He tried to think it was because the kid was a master at hiding and staying hidden, and not because he was possibly trapped in somewhere, or even worse, injured or… Chanyeol didn’t want to think about it. He willed all the panicky and paranoid thoughts away, and finally turned back to return to the upper deck. He needed to see whether the way was clear already or not.

When he was getting closer to the stairway, he suddenly heard steps and quickly retreated into the shadows. An officer came down the stairs, looking around, clearly searching something, his gun ready. Even in the little light they had, Chanyeol could recognize his face. 

Jongwoon proceeded determinedly and quietly. He was all alone for some reason, and that gave Chanyeol an idea. An impulsive and possibly stupid idea but he was too on the edge to care. There in the dark, with only a dozen meters in between them, he mentally returned to a moment on the roof of the City over ten years ago. He still remembered the panic, disbelief and betrayal, and the cold, satisfied look on Jongwoon’s face.

 

It had happened right after he and Baekhyun left the roof. Chanyeol had told Baekhyun to return before him so it would be easier to avoid any possible guards. Chanyeol had waited for about five minutes after Baekhyun and was just about to go back himself, when Jongwoon had suddenly walked up to him in the vent. 

“Why’d you bring Baekhyun out there, you could both get expelled for this,” Jongwoon had spat. 

“Can we have this conversation somewhere else?”

“No!” He shoved Chanyeol. Chanyeol shoved him back. 

In retrospect, he’d been reckless, Jongwoon had been reckless, and their mutual distaste of each other didn’t help. That all was most likely why Chanyeol’s biggest fear came true: a guard found the open vent and them. 

A lot of memories of those moments had faded over the years in Chanyeol’s mind, but he still remembered his own panic, Jongwoon’s panic and the desperate run out on the roof. He remembered the guard’s grunts and the way he had screamed when he fell. Maybe he had slipped, maybe Jongwoon had shoved him, he couldn’t tell anymore. Afterwards it had been his word against Jongwoon’s, the son of the Commander. The guards who’d dragged him to the gates said he was lucky to be alive before they threw him out and closed the gates in front of him.

 

Jongwoon’s steps echoed from the walls, and Chanyeol snapped back to present. He waited quietly in the shadows while Jongwoon obliviously approached him, step-by-step. The timing would have to be exactly right or Jongwoon would shoot him. He waited. Couple more steps. One more meter. 

When Jongwoon was by him, Chanyeol leaped forward at the same moment Jongwoon turned towards him, gun in the air. Chanyeol managed to grab at it and throw it aside. Once the other was unarmed, Chanyeol pulled his fist back and punched Jongwoon square in the face. The other grunted and staggered back a bit. Chanyeol went after him. He didn’t quite know what he wanted, other than to hurt Jongwoon as much as he could. He punched and kicked wherever he could reach, and when Jongwoon started to give back the same amount, it just fired him up more. 

He threw another punch but at the same time let his guard down so that Jongwoon was able to strike at his diaphragm, knocking all air out of him. Chanyeol collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath. He waited for a kick or punch but nothing happened. When he looked up, he saw Jongwoon picking up his gun and pointing at him again. Shit.

“Why’d you have to come back?” Jongwoon grunted. “I thought I’d got rid of you for good back then.”

“Well, you thought wrong,” Chanyeol muttered. It looked like he was done for, so he wanted to get everything off his chest right then. “How has it felt to live with that lie all your life? Or have you told Baekhyun the truth about that day?”

“Shut up.” Jongwoon took a step closer, gripping at the gun like a lifeline. “What you did was _forbidden_. Taking Baekhyun outside the City.”

“Not as forbidden as killing a guard, though. And putting a blame on someone else…”

“Enough!” Jongwoon walked up to him, shoved him with his foot, pointing the gun at his head. 

Chanyeol looked at the barrel, resigned and terrified, but there was no shot. Instead, Chanyeol heard steps and a shout, and suddenly Jongin dashed forward from somewhere.

Everything happened in a blink.

Jongin, running towards them, Jongwoon spinning around, his gun still in the air. A shot. 

“ _No_ , Jongin!” Chanyeol heard himself scream as he watched Jongin slumping in the ground.

Time slowed down. Chanyeol scrambled to his feet, hurried towards Jongin who was lying on the ground, calling for him, holding his stomach. Jongwoon just standing there. Someone running up to them from the shadows. Chanyeol saw the City’s uniform and his stomach dropped momentarily but then he saw the face. Baekhyun.

Chanyeol took Jongin in his arms. He was so small, there was so much blood and he didn’t answer to him anymore. Chanyeol held him, shock and disbelief and _anger_ boiling inside him as he turned around to face Jongwoon again. The officer was still standing there, still pointing his gun at Chanyeol. But now there was Baekhyun standing in front of them, blocking them.

Jongwoon grimaced. “Step aside, Baekhyun.”

“No, sir.”

“It’s an order!”

“You can keep your orders.”

Jongwoon’s gun hand trembled ever so slightly. Eventually he lowered it and gave Chanyeol a poisonous look before slowly walking away.

 

_b_

 

The sea seemed endless. Baekhyun had never seen anything so big and he couldn’t stop staring the horizon, the blurry line between the water and the sky. That evening the clouds were thinner than normally, and the golden and red glow of the setting sun was bleeding through. Everything looked beautiful for once. Yet everything felt so grim.

Baekhyun turned away from the window. On the other side of the room, Jongin was lying on a bed, with Chanyeol and Dr. Yoo beside him. The older man was just adjusting Jongin’s drip, speaking in low voice to Chanyeol.

“He’s going to be alright, he’s a strong boy.” Dr. Yoo laid his hand on Chanyeol’s shoulder.

“I always swore to protect him and yet I failed him like this,” Chanyeol said, voice breaking.

Baekhyun felt awkward just standing there kind of eavesdropping, but he didn’t know where else he’d go. He didn’t know his way around Dr. Yoo’s hideout, and he wanted to avoid running into Chanyeol’s rebel friends. He imagined they wouldn’t have too friendly feelings towards him, a City officer. So he stood there helplessly, eyes back on the sea, his heart hurting for Chanyeol. 

After a moment Dr. Yoo said all was fine with Jongin and they should just let him rest for now. He patted Chanyeol’s arm and for Baekhyun surprise, walked up to him. Baekhyun stoop up a bit straighter and bowed to the older man. He remembered seeing Dr. Yoo in the City as a child but it had been many years since then.

“I’m sorry for disturbing, sir,” Baekhyun said. 

“Nonsense. I think your presence is quite needed right now.” His eyes flicked to the side towards Chanyeol quickly before returning to Baekhyun’s. His gaze was piercing. But then he smiled, very warmly, and patted Baekhyun’s shoulder the same way he’d done to Chanyeol and walked off.

Baekhyun looked at Chanyeol. Or at his back, actually. He was suddenly feeling lost, even though he knew he wanted to help in any way he could. Ease Chanyeol’s pain.

So when Chanyeol eventually turned around and met his gaze, Baekhyun walked to him instantly and pulled him into a hug. Chanyeol was so tall, normally towering over Baekhyun, but now Baekhyun hoped he could be the pillar the other could lean on to. And he did. He rested his head on Baekhyun’s shoulder, arms locking over his lower back, letting Baekhyun hold him. 

Chanyeol was sniffing, a small and helpless sound, and after hesitating for a second, Baekhyun raised his hand to Chanyeol’s hair. He stroked through the locks in what he hoped was a soothing way. 

He didn’t know for how long they stood like that. Eventually, when Chanyeol had calmed down, he pulled away a little. His eyes were still red, and he looked so young all of a sudden. Like the boy Baekhyun remembered from the roof of the City. Without thinking much, he gently cupped Chanyeol’s face, wiping the faint tear trace off his cheek.

“I’m so sorry,” he said quietly.

Chanyeol shook his head. “You did nothing wrong. In fact, I’m thankful to you and I–I would like to talk about… everything but… I don’t know if I can leave Jongin now.”

Chanyeol glanced at the boy in the bed, looking troubled. Suddenly, they heard someone clearing their throat, and Baekhyun and Chanyeol jumped apart. There were three of Chanyeol’s rebel friends at the door. They had probably been at the earlier ambush, since they all looked pretty ragged and one of them had a bandage on his leg and a crutch. The one coming first was waving at them awkwardly.

“Um sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but we can look out for Jongin for a while. You should go and get some rest, dude.”

“Are you sure?” Chanyeol asked.

“Of course! Let us help. You can go.”

They all looked friendly enough but they did eye Baekhyun a bit warily so he stayed back and let Chanyeol handle it all. Chanyeol welcomed them warmly and promised to be back before long. He also quickly introduced Baekhyun to them; all that stayed in Baekhyun’s mind was that they were brothers and their surname was Kim. Then, for Baekhyun’s surprise, Chanyeol grabbed his hand and led him out of the room. He took him up one floor, to a small room that had broken windows, sea view and another old record player. Or maybe it was the one from Chanyeol’s tanker? Who knew. 

Once in, Chanyeol pulled him to another hug, as long and tight as the earlier one. Baekhyun closed his eyes and clung to Chanyeol like nothing else mattered in the world. In fact, it didn’t. He was finally where he was meant to be. 

“I missed you so much, all those years,” Chanyeol said.

Baekhyun’s heart soared. “Not more than I missed you.”

Chanyeol pulled back and now it was him who cupped Baekhyun’s face. The light was dimming with the setting sun but there was still this faint, scarlet hue, and Chanyeol’s face seemed to glow in it. Baekhyun took his time to just look at his face: the bright eyes and the laugh wrinkles on the corners, the sharp features, the warm and tender smile and the adorable dimple on his left cheek. 

“You know, I actually wanted to kiss you on the roof back then,” Chanyeol suddenly confessed, chuckling and looking adorably embarrassed. “But I didn’t dare. My biggest regret over the years.”

“Aww,” Baekhyun teased cheekily, even though he felt like his whole body was shaking right then. “What if you had another chance?”

“I’d take it.” 

He leaned in, Baekhyun leaned in, and they met in the middle. The kiss was tentative and soft, almost shy but Baekhyun felt like melting all the same. When they pulled apart, just a little, the smile Chanyeol gave him was enough a reason for him to continue. This time he went for longer and deeper, tilting his head and licking across Chanyeol’s bottom lip to coax his mouth open.

Chanyeol moaned lowly into his mouth and Baekhyun felt a spark of arousal travel through him. He pressed closer, sank fingers in Chanyeol’s hair, pulling a little. Chanyeol’s hands were on his neck and back, the touch burning through his uniform. Baekhyun was conflicted; he wanted to take his time but he was impatient. He wanted to take it slow but also couldn’t help thinking how much he wanted to fuck Chanyeol. Be fucked by him. It was overwhelming, years and years of bottled up emotions pooling out all at once.

Baekhyun slowly pulled away, resting his head against Chanyeol’s shoulder, catching his breath.

“Stay with me tonight?” Chanyeol asked, like Baekhyun would go anywhere else now.

“Gladly,” he smiled.

Chanyeol took his hand and pulled him towards the mattress on the floor that clearly served as the bed in the room. Chanyeol reached for the collar of his uniform and toyed with the buttons and the zipper.

“You look amazingly hot in your uniform but I’d die to see you without it.”

Baekhyun hummed, took half a step back and started to undress his uniform. He took off the jacket, the undershirt, opened his pants, stepped out of his boots. The whole time, he kept his eyes on Chanyeol. The way the other was looking at him made his skin tingle. Once Baekhyun was naked, he stepped closer again and yanked lightly at Chanyeol’s shirt, to get the other to undress as well. Chanyeol complied easily, and Baekhyun had to say he appreciated all the muscles that appeared under Chanyeol’s clothes.

Once free from all their clothes, they laid down on the mattress. Chanyeol on his back and Baekhyun on top of him. Baekhyun traced his face with his fingers, kissed him deeply. He stroked his hand down Chanyeol’s arm, and up his side, over his chest. He wanted to touch and kiss every inch of that body but he was afraid the night wasn’t long enough for that.

Chanyeol nosed along his jaw and neck, his hot breath tickling and sending waves of shivers down Baekhyun’s spine. Chanyeol’s hands slid down to cup his ass, kneading lightly. Baekhyun couldn’t help grinding down and he moaned as their dicks rubbed against each other. 

Baekhyun moved slightly so he could slide a hand between them and touch Chanyeol. The other was panting under him, against his mouth, and Baekhyun wanted to hear how he would sound like when he came. He set a lazy pace, wanting to enjoy Chanyeol’s buildup as long as possible, his low moans, chants of Baekhyun’s name, his fingers curling tightly in Baekhyun’s hair, making his scalp tingle. 

And when he finally reached the highest high, he was so beautiful, sounded so beautiful. His back arched, sweat glistening on his temple, faint screams of pleasure on his lips. After that, Baekhyun was so far gone himself, so turned on that it didn’t take Chanyeol long to make him finish, as well. 

Afterwards, they lay on the mattress in each other’s arms, listening to the silence of the night. Baekhyun felt amazingly limp and relaxed, but not sleepy in the slightest. Chanyeol was stroking his fingers up and down Baekhyun’s arm, drawing random patterns.

“I can’t believe I’m here with you finally,” Baekhyun said eventually, voicing a thought he’d had since they had left the shipwreck earlier and come here.

“Me neither. But I’m thankful.”

“Do you remember those ancient crappy mobile phones we used to have as kids? That we used to send messages to each other?”

“I do,” Chanyeol chuckled. “The technology was like, over a century old but they still worked somehow. And the messages always went through.”

“I still have mine,” Baekhyun said quietly. “After you were gone, I foolishly thought that maybe, just maybe you’d taken the phone with you, and that we’d be able to talk to each other via them. So I sent a message to you every night for like a month until I had to admit that you didn’t have the phone anymore. But it had kind of became a habit by then, so from time to time, when I felt really alone or hopeless, I sent a message to your number like always and pretended that you read it, wherever you were. It helped, a little.”

Chanyeol wrapped his arms tighter around Baekhyun.

“By the way, at the wreck earlier… Did you hear... everything?”

“Pretty much,” Baekhyun said. He still felt an unpleasant sting in his chest thinking how Jongwoon had lied to him all those years.

“I never wanted to believe that about you. I didn’t think you could ever kill anyone like that. So as much as the lie kind of hurts, I’m also relieved that it wasn’t true. And yet I’m bitter it all took you away from the City. From me.”

Chanyeol pressed a kiss on his forehead. “I’m here now.”

“But… for how long?” Baekhyun raised his head and looked up at Chanyeol, who sighed at his questioning look.

“Dr. Yoo has this plan, doesn’t he?” Baekhyun pushed. He needed to hear everything, and the sooner the better. “About shutting the City’s system.”

“He does,” Chanyeol admitted. “I’m supposed to carry that out.”

“Why? Why do you trust him?”

“He’s the only family like thing I’ve ever had after I was expelled. After he fled the City, he found me and took me in. He thinks differently than everyone else. He believes the system can be shut down, and that the world can be better than this again.”

“Do you believe in that?” Baekhyun wanted to know. He was still skeptical.

“I do,” Chanyeol said instantly. He looked at Baekhyun, and probably saw the doubt on his face as he gently brushed Baekhyun’s bangs away, combing his fingers through his hair, smiling a little.

“You remember the blue sky I showed you, right? I want to believe because of that. I want to see that again. And not just in the Mediterranean, but in here, too. And Dr. Yoo thinks it’s possible. That’s why I want to help him.”

Baekhyun smiled a little at Chanyeol’s eager expression. “I want to see that again, too.”

“I’ll make sure you do,” Chanyeol smiled and pecked Baekhyun’s lips. 

 

When Baekhyun woke up, it was still dim. He rolled over on the mattress, reaching his hand out to Chanyeol, but touched only the sheets. He sat up. He was alone.

He swiftly got dressed and tried to tell himself everything was fine but then his eyes landed on a piece of paper by the record player. 

_Baekhyun,_  
_I want to give you the blue sky and the sun, whatever it takes._  
_I hope we see each other again. If we don’t, please remember that I’ll always be in the sky, watching for you._  
_I love you._

Baekhyun’s stomach dropped. He felt the chills. Million emotions washed over him at once, from surprise and anger to resignation and fear. He squeezed the paper in his fist and hurried downstairs, to the room Jongin was in. He stopped quietly in the doorway. The room was empty save for the bed; Jongin was still sleeping peacefully. Baekhyun saw one of the rebel brothers sleeping in a chair by the bed. The one with a leg injury. Baekhyun didn’t like about the fact that two other brothers were also gone…

There was hand on his shoulder. Baekhyun turned and saw Dr. Yoo standing beside him. The older man seemingly noticed his distressed state and smiled reassuringly.

“I told Chanyeol that he should say goodbyes properly, but he’s always been stubborn.”

Baekhyun swallowed. “So he… He really went to the City? To do the energy release?”

“If everything goes according to the plan,” Dr. Yoo’s hand squeezed his shoulder, “Chanyeol will be fine and he’ll come back.”

“And… if not?” 

“He will.”

Baekhyun wanted to believe him. 

“I need to go,” he said and headed out for his bike.

 

_c_

 

The glider wasn’t perfectly ready but it would have to do. Chanyeol rose with in the sky, flying for a while to get used to the controlling again, and really to just enjoy the moment high up in the air.

Jongdae, Junmyeon and couple of others were in their truck down in the town, ready to carry out the plan. Chanyeol had been prepared to do it all alone but they had insisted. He was grateful. He knew Jongwoon and the City’s troops would be waiting for them, and he was ready to go at them this one last time. 

Chanyeol checked the time. It was around this moment that Jongdae and the others would break into the City through one of the bigger air-conditioning canals. Their plan was to create distraction and head to the main control center to shut down the power supply before Chanyeol could start the energy release at the core of the system.

Chanyeol flew towards the City and it’s enormous buildings, his goal to penetrate as deep as he could with the glider. He flew past bridges, towers and skyscrapers, and it wasn’t long before he could see some of the security troops’ air ships tailing him, occasionally trying to shoot at him. Luckily his glider was rather small and light, so it was easy to dodge them. For now. Chanyeol tried flying through gaps and tunnels to lose the ships, and he did manage to lose a couple but more ships came in all the time.

After one tunnel, he turned steeply to left and flew towards the central part of the City. He was getting close, he’d just need to cross the artificial lake near the central halls and–

The glider swayed violently when shots pierced its right wing. Chanyeol cursed under his breath. He dropped down close to the water surface and hoped to elude the tailing ships but another bunch of shots hit the glider and its wing dropped down to the water. The glider shook and tilted sideways and Chanyeol had to jump off. He hit the water, let himself sink deeper and then dived quickly away from the glider. He resurfaced close to the wall of the building and swam by it, looking for an entrance. 

Half an hour, a couple of dead guards and lots of sneaking around later, Chanyeol was finally getting closer to the main control center. He wondered where Jongdae, Junmyeon and the others were. The City had clearly topped up the security; Chanyeol had had to dodge many patrols on his way, and by the sound of it, there was again one heading his way along the corridor. Chanyeol squeezed the gun he had on him, though it wouldn’t be of much use against a full group of City’s officers. He was just wondering how many he could take down before getting shot himself, when there was this big rumble coming from somewhere. He quickly peeked around the corner of the patrol, and they were also looking around, seemingly puzzled by the noise.

Then, a huge crackle and the whole wall crumbled down when a truck smashed through it, straight over the security patrol. Chanyeol thought he heard someone hooting over the all clatter. Of course. He ran to the truck, and saw Jongdae on the shotgun and Junmyeon behind the wheel. Jongdae grinned at him, giving him thumbs up, while Junmyeon looked slightly pale and stiff. 

“Told you we could do it!” Jongdae chirped. “Wanna lift, Chanyeol?”

“Yes please.”

“Let’s go!”

They drove deeper, towards the power center. When they got to the entrance, the patrol guarding it opened fire on the truck. Jongdae chuckled as the shots were snapping against the bulletproof vehicle. 

“Show them, hyung!” he cheered on Junmyeon, who steered the wheel and hit the brakes, and the truck curved right towards the patrol, scattering it completely. 

“Okay, guys, I’m counting on you with shutting down the power supply,” Chanyeol said when they were ready to get out of the car.

“Roger that,” Jongdae said. “Good luck with the rest. You better get back from there.”

Chanyeol snorted. “I try my best.”

They got out of the car, and while the rebels created cover fire for him, Chanyeol hurried to the elevator platform that would take him up, to the core of the system. Meanwhile, Jongdae would hurry to the power center and shut down the supply and Junmyeon and others would keep the City’s troops away from them. Chanyeol wished them all the best. 

The way up was slow, like rising up to the sky itself. When the platform reached the top, Chanyeol stepped off and headed to the lit up control panel in the middle of the level. It glowed green, and it had a small round hole the middle in which the cylinder Dr. Yoo had made would go. The cylinder that would end everything. 

Chanyeol walked to the control panel, took out the cylinder. This is it, he thought.

There was a shot. 

It rang in the air, and Chanyeol fell down, pain piercing through his right shoulder. He heard the clank when the cylinder fell on the ground, rolling away.

“Well well well, you made it this far.” 

Chanyeol grunted in pain and saw Jongwoon who walked forward with his gun pointed at him. 

“All this fight for nothing.” Jongwoon stopped right by him, lifted his foot and stepped heavily on Chanyeol’s shoulder. He screamed in pain.

“Y-you can’t stop this…” Chanyeol panted. “If I won’t do it, there’ll be others who will…”

“Maybe,” Jongwoon shrugged. He crouched down by Chanyeol’s head. “But others won’t have anything to do with Baekhyun. They won’t take him away from me. They–“

Jongwoon stopped abruptly and looked up. Chanyeol followed his gaze and saw Baekhyun, who picked up the cylinder from the ground and turned to look at them. He face was hard, expressionless. 

“Baekhyun…” Jongwoon said quietly. 

Baekhyun walked to the control panel. Jongwoon scrambled to his legs, pointing his gun shakily at Baekhyun.

“No. Baekhyun, don’t… Don’t make me.”

Baekhyun said nothing, but looked evenly at Jongwoon, like challenging him. He brought the cylinder to the panel and inserted it. It disappeared inside the panel, inside the system.

Jongwoon sighed deeply and lowered his shaky gun.

There was a shot. And another.

 

Chanyeol didn’t know what had happened at first, but when he saw the red blooming in Baekhyun’s chest, he yelled. 

 

Baekhyun fell down, as did Jongwoon. Chanyeol saw a man standing farther on the level, his gun up, manic smile on his face. Chanyeol still remembered that face. Commander Choi.

 

Everything started falling apart. The core sent pulses of light around, the structures came apart around them, the pieces and particles floating up since the gravity in the Center started disappearing. 

 

Chanyeol watched how Jongwoon dragged himself to Baekhyun, lifting his head in his lap, letting out a helpless cry. Chanyeol stared at him, at them. He now saw the way Jongwoon was looking at Baekhyun. He dropped his eyes on Baekhyun as well and his heart jumped when he saw the other moving, just a little, a faint groan leaving his lips. He was alive.

 

Chanyeol started glancing around. The light was getting brighter, and he felt himself getting lighter due to the lack of gravity. The core level was also breaking apart, the space for them decreasing all the time. Chanyeol knew the center of the core level would form a safety capsule against the energy release when it happened. That would be the only way to survive it.

 

Jongwoon looked down at Baekhyun and then to Chanyeol. The blood from their wounds was rising up, crimson drops floating eerily around. Jongwoon seemed to make a silent decision as he let go off Baekhyun and pushed him towards Chanyeol; they were all so light that Baekhyun floated the small distance until Chanyeol caught him in his arms. Jongwoon then reached out and pushed the emergency button by the edge of the level; the safety capsule walls started slowly closing in over Chanyeol and Baekhyun.

 

“Hyung,” Baekhyun said weakly. 

 

Chanyeol didn’t understand why Jongwoon didn’t stay inside the capsule with them, but then he noticed Commander Choi, who was now moving closer to them, on the edge of the level, his gun still ready, clearly aiming to shoot them both right there.

 

“Die, you rats,” he spat. 

 

But right then, Jongwoon floated behind him, shooting the Commander before he had the chance. More crimson drops, and Commander’s body floated away slowly.

 

The capsule walls closed over them, forming a small cupola of bulletproof glass. Jongwoon was floating outside, and Baekhyun helplessly reached out his hand against the glass. Jongwoon looked at them, tears in his eyes, and waved his hand for the last time. Chanyeol held Baekhyun tighter. 

 

The light was getting brighter and brighter and finally there was a powerful, white wave of energy that flooded out, filling every inch and corner, and Chanyeol squeezed his eyes shut against it, covering Baekhyun’s eyes as well just in case. It was silent but it made the capsule shake. 

 

They didn’t see it but it broke all the glass, shattered the cupola built over the City. There was a light pillar so high it reached the clouds and above, breaking them apart.

 

First, there was wind. 

 

Then the clouds started moving, started breaking away and diffusing, making way to the blue sky and the sun. The sunlight spread gradually over the City’s buildings, over the houses and shacks of the workers’ town, over the wastelands and the bleak landscape. The workers, the town people, the City’s inhabitants all looked up at the bright blue sky most of them had never seen before. Jongdae and Junmyeon were by shattered windows, leaning against each other, speechlessly gaping at the sky. 

 

The sun shed light on the coast area, on every old wreck that lay there. It shone over Dr. Yoo’s submarine, peeking in to the room Jongin was sleeping in and making it glow.

 

“Holy shit,” Minseok cursed under his breath while limping to the window to look at the blue sky. “They really made it.”

 

Back in the City, the safety capsule slowly opened. The roof of the building was gone, the cupola was gone, and the sun was shining in.

 

“Look, Chanyeol…” Baekhyun said quietly, looking up at the deep blue. He searched Chanyeol’s hand into his own, gripping tightly. He tasted blood in his mouth.

 

“Can you believe that?”

 

Chanyeol smiled. “Yes. Yes, I can.”

 

They laid side by side, hand in hand, looking up at the endless sky spreading over them, taking them in.


End file.
